Hystereses of volume changes in liquid single crystal elastomers swollen with low molecular weight liquid crystal

The hystereses of volume changes in liquid single crystal elastomers (LSCEs) swollen with a low molecular weight liquid crystal (LMWLC), 5CB, are studied as a function of temperature. The swollen LSCE shows significant hystereses in the volume changes at temperatures T-N1 and T-A during the processes on heating and on cooling, where the temperature T-N1 is the apparent nematic-isotropic transition for outside LMWLC and T-A the nematic-isotropic transition for LMWLC inside the LSCE. No significant hysteresis at T-B however can be observed which is the nematic-isotropic phase transition temperature for equilibrium shape of the swollen LSCE (networks). (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.